Railway offset joint.



- No 879,938. PATENTEDFEB. 25, 1908.

J. H. ALLEN.

RAILWAY OFFSET JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4, 1906.

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NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM R. DAVIS, TRUSTEE,

JOHN H. ALLEN, OF EAST ORANGE,

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OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY OFFSET JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed May 4- 1906. Serial lilo. 316.241,-

To all whom it v no y concern: Be'it known that 1, JOHN H. ALLEN, a citi- .zenof the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,fhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway Offset J oints, of

i which the following is a specification.

-The obj ects of this invention are to secure an improved'connecting plate for joining the adj acent ends of railsrof different weights or sizes, particularly in height; to secure such a plate which shall be of simple construction and capable of being cheaply manufactured by casting; to at the same time obtain a maximum strength and firmness in the support of the rail ends; to secure a connecting plate which can be readily and positively fitted to an .ofiset joint; to facilitate the bolting of the plate to the rails, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway offset joint having my im )roved connecting plate applied thereto; an Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views of the same taken upon lines at and 1 Fig; 1, res ectively, looking in the directions indicate by the arrows.

In said drawings; 1 indicates the larger of l two' rails coming togpther in an ofiset joint,

- saidrail having the ead 2-with upper tread surface 3 and lowerupwardly and outwardly inclined lateralbearing surfaces 4, t -vertical web 5 erforated as at 6 to receive the fastening'bo ts of the joint,'-and lateral base flanges 7, 7, each providing. an u per outwardly and downwardly incline bearing surface 8. Y a

11 indicates the smaller of the two rails forming the offset joint and which alsohas all the features just described in connection with said larger rail 1, and which are indicated on the smaller rail l' l i'by reference numerals 12 to 18 inclusive.

My improved connectin plates are used in pairs, a right and a left for each joint, arranged on opposite sides of the rail ends; aside from'this their-construction is just alike and a detail description of one will suflice for the other.

The connecting plate 20 has a main vertical or upright ortion 21 adapted to lie between the hea s and fianges'of the-rails and an inwardly beveled bearing 22 to engage the under surface 4 of the head of the larger rail,

and at the other end portion of its upper edge a similar but higher bearing 23 for the head 11 of the smaller rail. At the lower edge of the end portion. for the larger rail isan outwardly and downwardly inclined flange 24 adapted to engage at its under surface the top 8 of the base flange of the rail, and at the other end portion is a similar flange 25 enough higher up to correspondingly engage the base of the smaller rail.

It will be understood that the main upright portions oft-he connecting plates are perforated as at 26,46, respectively, in al1neforming at one endlportion of its upper edge i ment with the perforations of the rails sothat bolts'9 may bind the whole firmly together. Furthermore, the upper and lower bearings of the connecting plates flare oppositely out ward, as shown, in the usual manner, and the main upright portions of the fish that a powerful wedging effect is obtained by tightening 'u the bolts. By my img proved construction of offset joint these up plates do. not engage the vertical web of the rail, so

per and lower bearings are, the only engagements of the connecting plates with the rails. and hence the plates' are very readily and positively fitted into position.

In order to. strengthen against vertical strain, an extension, or lower vertical or upright portion is provided at the middle' of the plate where the two rail ends abut, extending downward from the flanges 24, 25. This extension 27 does not extend to the ends of the connecting plate, but only for its middle portion, as above stated, and beyond the ends of the same the edges of the flanges 24, 25, are pro jected somewhat as at 28, 29, and which rojection is carried also down around the ower edge of extension 27 so as to form a heavy lateral outer rib 30. This rib materially strengthens and stiflens the said extension 27 just where the strain upon the the fish plate nectmg plate, and a very strong firm construction is consequently secured.

Seats'31 for the heads or nuts of the fastening bolts 9 are raised outwardly on the main portion 20 of the connecting late, so that even on that end of the plate WRLlOll enages the smaller rail and where the inclined ange25 is'very high up, there will be room with reference etters 21 to 31 on the connecting plate 20.

In an offset joint having connectingplates 27, 47 lie between two adjacent ties which niain portion, a lower upright portion n the said main portion, and a lateral connecting plate for railway offset joints, comprising a'main upright portion having a vertical oflset therein, outwardly and upwardly beveled bearings at the upper edge of said main ortion, outwardly and downwardly inclined flanges at the bottom ending from the outer edges of said flanges of my improved construction the extensions I of said main portion, a web or extension deare next to the abutting .rail ends and ob- Beneath the offsetinthe main portion, termiviously said ties will be arranged at different heights to properly support the said rail ends.

so that the connecting'plates will properly.

fit them and-form a smooth even tread surface at the tops of the same.

My improvements are designed, for a cast offset joint, and it will be noted that the construction described is one which will facilitate such castin Having thus tie scribed the invention, what claim as new s: 1. A connecting plate for ra ilway offset jomts, comprising a main upright portion wardl main the ra' 'nating at its ends short of the ends of said flanges, and a rib extending along the free-'" edges of said flanges and web,

In a railway olfset joint, the combination' with abutting rail ends, of opposite con necting plates each having a ma n upright portion with an offset therein, outwardly and upwardly beveled bearings at the upper edge of said main portion to engage the heads of the rails, outwardly and downy inclined flanges at the bottom of the ortion to engage thebase flanges of v s, a web dependingi'rom' the junction having a vertical offset therein, outwardly I of said flanlgles adapted to befree from the 30 and upwardly beveled bearings at the upper main portion, outwardly and downwardly inclined flanges at the bottom of said main ortion and a lower vertical portion de pen ing from said flanges beneath the 85 offset in the main vertical ortion.

2. A connecting plate or railwa edge of said joints, comprisin 40 edge of said main downwardly incline joints, comprisin a main upright portion having a vertica offset therein,

ardly and he bottom a rnain upright portion hav ng a vertica oflset therein, and upwardly beveled bearings at 50 edge ofsaid main portion, outw outwardly the upper ardly and necting plates each having I portion with an offset the'rem, outwardly and y offset upwardly beveled bearings at the up er edge l 0 said main portion to engage the f: outwardly -the rails, outwardly and downwardly inthe upper i clined flanges at the bottom of the' main portion to e'n'gagethe base flangesr of the rails, a web de ending from the junction of said flanges, a rib extending along the mar in remaining portion of t e, p- I edges of the flanges, and bolts assedthrough said connecting plates and rail a :of said web and Witnesses:

e rail ends and bolts assed eads of ends JOHN AfiLEN.

RUssELL M. EVERETT,

ETHEL B. Run. 

